My wife and I recently stayed two nights on the Queen Mary. We had a fantastic time! There's so much to see and do on the ship and even more in the surrounding area. Our standard room was clean, comfortable and larger than a standard room on a modern-day cruise ship. We loved how they've made an extra effort to maintain the original art deco decor. Upon first impression it could seem as if the room is old and outdated. Well, it is. But it's original and very well maintained. The extra large port holes were great for views and cool ocean breezes. Our bed was very comfortable. One problem you could encounter is noise from adjoining cabins due to thin walls. Because of this, they have a strictly enforced noise policy that includes being removed from the ship. We dined in several of the restaurants and found them to be better than we expected. They're well known for their Champagne Sunday Brunch in the exquisite Grand Salon. In talking with Lucy in Chelsea's Chowder House and Carlos in Sir Winston's Lounge, we discovered that the Queen Mary has a happy crew on board - many have been there for decades. One benefit of staying on board was the lack of crowds after 6pm when many of the day visitors disembark. We found several small museums on the ship that we've never encountered on afternoon visits. Parking is $17/day and day visitors can get that reduced to $5 with a validation from any of the restaurants or bars onboard. We ventured out during the day to the U.S.S. Iowa Battleship in San Pedro - only 15 minutes away. Way Cool! Next to the Queen Mary is Scorpion, a cold war-era Russian submarine that's open for tours. Within a short to moderate walking distance from the Queen Mary are the Aquarium of the Pacific (L.B. Aquarium), Shoreline Village and The Pike which provide visitors with a multitude of dining, shopping and entertainment options. Shoreline Village offers boating charters from fishing to dinner cruises. Ferry departures for Catalina Island are located at several locations around the Queen Mary. The AquaLink water taxi connects the ship to several key tourist destinations in the Long Beach Harbor. It's inexpensive and worth it just to go for a round trip boat ride. The Queen Mary is a great destination for out-of-towners or a staycation for locals. We'll be doing it again... sooner rather than later.
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